Lancia Montecarlo/Scorpion: My dream car!

[thechadzone]

Been meaning to post this for a while, it seems this is the first one posted here according to the Search feature.

I found it at a very affordable price 500 miles south of me in California. To summarize, I was hell-bent to make the trip to get it. I paid for it in cash sent Overnight mail. Never done that before, but I had a good feeling about the guy on the phone. Turned out I was more than right.

Remarkably, it runs well and has zero rot!! However, it's been sitting in the California sun way too long, and it's paint is trashed. I'm currently prepping it for paint in my garage when time allows.

I've put about 40 miles on it, and though its US spec emission controlled 1.8 liter 84hp twin cam is underwhelming, it's a blast to drive! Amazingly light steering, and very todsable in the turns. It needs some work on its shift linkage, and a bleeding of its brakes, but until I can afford to give it a built Lancia Beta two liter, it's good as-is.


I've wanted one of these for many years, I still can't believe I have one in my garage. I open the garage door just to say hello to it at least once per day!

[thechadzone]

A few more pics. The car came with a replacement vinyl top, which it's sure gonna need... the interior is workable, but it's gonna be a chore. Carpet & dash are good, and the switchgear is also good. It actually has working signal/brake/headlights/tail lights! Amazing for what it is!

If I did the pics right, the pic of it behind my Alfa 75 shows how small & low this car really is. 43 inches tall from the roof at the middle of the door to the ground!

Updates will be scarce & I'm shy of my skills compared to many here. Being a single dad takes most of my time, but my 3 year old is a huge car guy!

[smeden]

Lovly car! Would like something like that one day! I started out as a panelbeater on Alfas and Lancias!

[subarkata]

Congrats on the acquisition! Finding any sort of Beta (Montecarlo/Scorpion) without rust is a huge WIN already. Yours look like it needs only few things to become a very nice example. Good luck with it and hope the updates are regular

[astranaut]

Love these ever since I saw Herbie goes to Monte Carlo as a kid, never seen one in the flesh. Looks a cracker though, good luck with it

[jpr1977]

Oct 28, 2016 10:43:29 GMT astranaut said:

Love these ever since I saw Herbie goes to Monte Carlo as a kid, never seen one in the flesh. Looks a cracker though, good luck with it

That's the same for me that, lovely blue monte got me into old rusty italians...



I turned down one about 10yrs ago for some ridiculous reason and have regretted it ever since... Particularly given the price of a good one over here now.

[haydnw]

Great car! And you have a 75 too, which is arguably even better!

Good luck with the both of them.

[borcombe]

Impeccable taste in cars. At least you have the balls to post your passions. Good on you for that. Nobody here will judge you if your welding or paint are not the best. Damn! Lancia and an Alfa in the family, how extremely cool.

[lufbramatt]

Love that shape, not seen one like that Before, nice buy.

Those Lancias are very rare over here now, they basically just dissolve as you're watching. My uncle had a red Beta Spyder that had a somewhat interesting past, it started life in South Africa where it belonged to the head of a very far right political party, was brought to the UK by his journalist girlfriend and ended up being owned by Michael Barrymore (UK tv show host with a somewhat chequered past). When my uncle got it, it was in really nice condition having lived most of it's life in SA, but it deteriorated very quickly and 5 years later he sold it to a couple of young lads who were going to do it up, but sadly I don't think they ever did anything with it.

[nmretro]

Nice score. Recognized the name from the Alfa board. Always wanted to put an AlfaV6 in one (the sound!) but now I think an engine out of a new turbo 500 would be the way to go.

[highvoltage]

Great to see one of these on RR!

They weren't very popular in the UK at the time,the hangover around the Beta subframe rust saga saw to that.Lancia buying back 5 year old cars and crushing them plus the rather unfair national media attention sadly killed Lancia in the UK.This despite them doing a lot more than other companies to sort things out.

I lived not too far from a Lancia dealer and took an interest in them,they looked very different and really quite spectacular back then.

I think less than a thousand were sold here on and off.Sales were suspended for a while as the early cars had servo assistance on the front brakes only and suffered from front wheel lock up.

[darrenh]

cool little car ! i'm sure we've had a beta montercarlo on here before, not that it matters ! (Red one)

good luck with the resto !

[ian65]

Great score! Always fancied one of these, looking forward to seeing what you do with it.

[düdo]

Looks great 'as is' preserved by the California sun. Maybe just sort the seats?

[thechadzone]

Thanks to all for the kind words! So refreshing to be told that I have impeccable taste, rather than hearing "never heard of one of those before..."

I live in a very liberal area and automotive enthusiasm is almost unheard of, except for the occasional muscle car fan. They're no more appreciative of my cars than the Prius drivers...

Encouragement and bodywork/paint tips are particularly helpful right now, as I have little spare time and I've never painted an entire car before. I've got the front trunk lid mostly straight & flat, but it's taken me forever!

[ditchdigger]

I love it and can't wait to see it.

[sketch]

Looks awsome, a bit Delorion esc

[fer4l]

Very nice - welcome!

Cheers

Matt

[lovejoy]

Awesome car, love your Alfa too! Good luck with it

[chandlergti]

I bought one in Chicago fifteen years ago and after getting it home it hung up on the trailer unloading and the sills actually separated! I've been looking for another since; I don't like to lose lol!

Looks like an awesome car, good luck with it!